Steps to the White City

by Steve Henderson

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Price

$1,400

Dimensions

28.500 x 21.000 inches

Title

Steps to the White City

Artist

Steve Henderson

Medium

Painting - Watercolor On Paper

Description

It is La Città Bianca, White City on the hill, illuminated under the rich, blue Mediterranean sky.

As you walk through the streets of historic Ostuni, Italy, you encounter a lot of steps. Up you go and then down, past homes and buildings built of white stone or whitewashed to look as if they were. Against such a backdrop, the potted plants and flowers literally bloom, their colorful blossoms and foliage creating a striking sight.

And you encounter the kitties – the community cats that either belong to the homes outside of which they groom themselves, or are welcome vagrants who visit to dine on the food that friendly residents leave out for them.

In the artwork, Steps to the White City, there are two such amiable felines, off on your right near the doorway. The black and white one is looking at you, deciding whether it’s time to come forward for a head pat from your beckoning hands, while the black one, hidden in the shadows, waits expectantly for the door to open.

And on upward continue the steps – steep and uneven, steps that have been walked upon for centuries, and continue to be the means by which residents travel through the streets to the shops and market and their homes. Bright blue doors and shutters add a startling, yet quite delightful contrast to all the white: white steps, white walls, white stones, white railings to the balconies. It gleams in the sun.

Climb to the top and you are treated to even more to see: eight kilometers away the Adriatic Sea sparkles, its rich blue mirroring that of the sky overhead.

It’s a sunny day; the kitties are out and about; residents sweeping their walkways stop to smile and say hello; and the city is beautiful. Doesn’t it feel wonderful to be here?

Uploaded

February 26th, 2024

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